Improved railway-switch



`tice the rods and braces to another rail of the same UNiTen STATES#PATENT OFFICE.,

VILLIAM TRACY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

iMP'RovEn RAILWAYQSWITCH. i 1

l specilieaton forming part oi' Letters Patent yBT01525102V January 6,1867.

-scription thereof, reference bing had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, inwhich- I I Figurel is a side viewor" the levers for moving the switch-rails locked in one position. Fig.2 is a similar `view showingI the levers in an opposite position. Fig. 3is a plan view of Fig. 2. l

Similar letters of reference indicate corre! spending parts in theseveral figures.

This invent-ion relates to a new and i1nproved inode of constructinglevers which are adapted for moving switch-rails oi' railroads, wherebysuch levers arenot only prevented from rising by the passing/andrepassing of trains over the rails, but the weight thus brought upon therails operates to make the' levers lie more closely ing any displacementofthe ends of the switchrails, as will he hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand lmy invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

The drawings represent the levers applied to but one movable or switchrail. In pracmovabie railA is connected by tiekind, similar to thewellknown railroadswitches.

To the buse of the rail A. a bar, B, is connected by means of theembracing-jaws a a, or in any other suitable manner. This bar extendsout at right angles to the rail-section A; and terminates 1n an elevatedportion, a',

through which is an eyefor receiving a pin,

'11, thatfcrnzs ff. pivot-connection for two parallel levers,

The opposite ends of these levers (i C uw arched, as shown in Figsj-Iand 2, and .pirated to a vibrating lever, I), by a transverse nin, c.The lever l) is pivoted between two stadards, d d, :it e, and it has aneye-handle when the lever l) is moved to the position shown in liig. Il,it can be locked therein by means of'a pin, y, assed through eyes thatare formed ou the no levers C Cyand when this lever 'D is movi-d in theposition shown in place, thus prevent-I fornied on its free end.-

dated February 2V, lii antedatcd y "in 2-it is locked therein by meansof the ,same pin, g, ardshI h. Y y.

The parallel intermediate levers, C C, a re con structed with curvedorarched ends, for the passed through the ey'standpurpose of allowing themto act with the same -freedom on the lever I) on each side of thestandards (l d, and these curved ends of the levers C C are pivoted tothe leveinD a short distance lfrom its fulcrum, at c, to allow o1' theswitch-rails being moved from a siding to `the main track and back againby adjusting this lever D, as indicated in Figs. l and 2.-

The levers C C are pivoted at their ends nearest the rail A to a bar, B,in the manner above stated, for the purpose of preventing any movementupward being communicated to the switch-lever l) when trains pass or re-"pass over the switch.

Coutrivances which have hitherto been einq ployed for movingswitch-rails are so affected by the passing and repassing of trains oversuch rails that they allow the rails to become displaced to more or lessextent; but by the arrangement whichI have herein described no amount ofpressure upon any part of 'the switch-rails will in the least elevatethe lever D, but, on the contrary',a pressure upon these rails will havea tendency to canse such lever to lie more 'lirmly in its place, whetherit be adjusted on one side or the other of the standards d d; and whilethis is the case with respect to downward pressure upon the switchrails,it will also be seen that any lateral out ward thrust will be resistedby the levers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction ofthe intermediate link, C, in combination with thearrangement of the pivot e on the support d, and the pivot c on thelever D, whereby a thrust or a pull upon the switch, when the lever isadjusted to 'the position shown in Figs. l and 2' of the drawings, tendsto cause the lever D to retain its position, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the lockingpin y with "the levei` I) and links C,all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

WILLIAM TRACY.

W itnesses: v

l. H. Wire.

